The seventh edition of the Gateway Tertiary Institutions Games (GATIG) will conclude today at the MKO Abiola Stadium in Abeokuta, Ogun State, following several days of competition involving tertiary institutions from across the state.
Launched with an opening ceremony on Monday, the event has featured contests in around 10 sports: football, basketball, volleyball, athletics, chess, table tennis, tennis, taekwondo, badminton and Ayo, the traditional Nigerian board game.
Officials from the education and sports communities are expected at the closing ceremony, including vice-chancellors, heads of participating institutions, Student Union leaders and government representatives. Ogun State Commissioner for Sports, Hon. Isiaka Wasiu, will be the chief host.
GATIG was established in 2006 under the administration of former Governor Gbenga Daniel, during the tenure of Hon. Bukola Olopade as Special Adviser on Youth and Sports. The competition was created to encourage sporting excellence, fair competition and grassroots development among students at tertiary institutions.
Reflecting on the 2026 edition, GATIG Council president Kehinde Adeyemi praised the quality of the contests and the discipline shown by the student-athletes throughout the games.
Adeyemi also thanked Ogun State Governor Prince Dapo Abiodun for providing conditions that have supported the growth of sport in the state.
“I appreciate our sports-loving governor, Dapo Abiodun, for his care and for creating an environment that supports grassroots sports development. We also owe our gratitude to our amiable Commissioner for Youths and Sports, Hon. Wasiu Isiaka, for his commitment and backing for school sports,” he said.
The organisers said GATIG remains an avenue for identifying emerging sporting talent, while also promoting togetherness and constructive rivalry among students of Ogun State’s tertiary institutions.
“For the students, this is the moment to put aside the books and lace up the boots,” added Adeyemi, who is also the Director of Sports at Olabisi Onabanjo University.
